Allusion

"You could blame the munitions makers or Karl Marx or a trick of fate or an old man in Omaha who forgot to vote (Pg 177)."

In this quote, O'Brien is reflecting on all the people one could blame for the war in Vietnam. He makes an allusion to Karl Marx, the "creator" of Communism. The Vietnam War was a movement in the name of the theory of containment. The United States' chief goal was to halt the spread of Communism to neighboring countries, which was a valid issue considering there was a term specifically for this spread into neighboring countries called Domino Effect. One could argue that if it weren't for the creator of Communism, the Vietnam War to contain Communism would have never been fought. O'Brien likely adds this allusion because he knows the majority of readers will understand it. It provides a deeper insight into the thinking of a soldier in the war. They needed someone to blame and who better than the man that started it all? To be fair, Marx had never wanted Communism to become violent or war-inciting. He simply wanted the Catholic church to stop abusing its powers with such things as the selling of indulgences and greed within the church.